Dan (Danny) Shimp and I talked yesterday. 43 years is a long time, but also a short time in terms of the heart's clock. It was a wonderful conversation. So rich! We talked about the past, present, and future and we agreed it is good to remember old times. It grounds us and re-stokes the heart fires. We also agreed life is about one thing really...Now!

Lesson: True friendship once created, never dies and never grows old. I am thankful for Dan and what we shared together as kids following our hearts onto baseball diamonds, into old coal mine shafts, teasing the bull in the cloverfield, walking along a stream re-enacting ancient scenes when the woods was filled with Indians, and many other things. Summers were special times because it was our time to do what we wanted to do in life. Everyday should be summer. Don't you agree?

Posted by Don Iannone at Tuesday, February 03, 2004 0 comments Links to this post

Monday, February 02, 2004Passed along to me from a very old friend...

Memories Flee and Are no more: All are empty dreams Devoid of meaning.

The vagaries of life Though painful, Teach us not to cling To this floating world.

If at the end of our journey There is no final Resting place Then we need not fear Losing our way.

No beginning No end; Our mind Is born and dies: The emptiness of emptiness!

In this world All things, without exception, Are unreal: Death itself is An illusion.

--Ikkyu

Dan Shimp of Santa Fe passed this special poem on to me and I pass it along to all of you. It's wonderful. Much to ponder about what we hold onto in life. Thank you, Dan.

As background, Dan and I shared several special summers together in the early 1960's in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where I grew up and where his grandmother lived. We played together from dawn to dusk. What wonderful memories.

Dan and I rediscovered each other after 40+ years. Can you imagine? Dan did an Internet search on "Martins Ferry, OH meditation groups" and my name popped up on his computer screen. He made his way over to Conscious Living and sent me an email, which I just replied to.

Life is a gift. Celebrate it every day. I am thankful for the Martins Ferry part of my life, and thank Dan for helping me to remember the good times.

Thank you, good Brother. Another four years has passed under the bridge since we reconnected. A whole high school's worth of time. It sure seems to flow much more quickly these days, and yet, the timeless essence is more and more recognized.I'm glad for your friendship in and out of time.